…a Bible student's notes…

“forgive, forget, move on,” part 4…

In verse 2, of chapter 25 of 1 Samuel, the curtain opens to the business of a very great rich man. He has 3,000 sheep and 1,000 goats and it is sheep-shearing season – a very festive occasion. Much food and feasting is part of this festival.

Enters a man upon the scene – unknown until he has an encounter with David. His name is Nabal (the owner of these flocks and the master of the festivities) and immediately his wife’s name is introduced as Abigail.“Nabal” means “fool.” Let Scripture inform us about the meaning of “fool:”

Isa 32:5 No longer will the fool be called noble, Or the rogue be spoken of [as] generous.

6 For a fool speaks nonsense, And his heart inclines toward wickedness, To practice ungodliness and to speak error against the LORD, To keep the hungry person unsatisfied And to withhold drink from the thirsty.

7 As for a rogue, his weapons are evil; He devises wicked schemes To destroy [the] afflicted with slander, Even though [the] needy one speaks what is right.

8 But the noble man devises noble plans; And by noble plans he stands.

Ps 14:1 ¶ (For the choir director. [A Psalm] of David.) The fool has said in his heart, “There is no God.” They are corrupt, they have committed abominable deeds; There is no one who does good.

Lu 12:16 And He told them a parable, saying, “The land of a certain rich man was very productive.

17 “And he began reasoning to himself, saying, ‘What shall I do, since I have no place to store my crops?’ 18 “And he said, ‘This is what I will do: I will tear down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. 19 ‘And I will say to my soul, “Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years [to come;] take your ease, eat, drink [and] be merry.”‘ 20 “But God said to him, ‘You fool! This [very] night your soul is required of you; and [now] who will own what you have prepared?’ 21 “So is the man who lays up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.”

A fool is corrupt in heart, has no fear of God (no wisdom), and no regard for the future. A fool invests in this world and in this age.

“Abigail” means “joy of her father.” It was tradition for the father of the family to choose the husband for his daughter. She brought joy to her father through obedience to him. We read that she is intelligent and beautiful in appearance. Only two other women in the Bible are named “beautiful – Rachael and Esther.

Nabal, was harsh and evil in his dealings. However, he was a Calebite! (You remember Caleb – a spy, who with Joshua, brought back a good, faithful report of the land flowing with milk and honey to Israel, who refused to believe the two and believed the other eight instead.) “Caleb” also means, “dog” and was slang for a Gentile.

Some couple, huh? So how did this marriage work?

Curtains close for today. Come back to observe how an impossible union works.